6 days from £499

SUGGESTED ITINERARY

Day 1 UK to Chianciano Terme
Scheduled flight to Rome where we are met by our tour manager and private executive coach for the transfer to the excellent family run 3* Hotel Villa Ricci in Chianciano Terme in Tuscany for a five night stay on bed and breakfast basis with dinner included on the first night.

Day 2 Pienza & Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore
We enjoy a relaxing morning at the enchanting town of Pienza today, the location for the filming of scenes from the ‘English Patient’ and birthplace of Pope Pius II. We then travel on to see the magnificent 41 frescoes of the Life of St. Benedict at the beautiful Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore where we have a guided tour by one of the local monks. This evening you have the option of a dinner of traditional Tuscan farmhouse food accompanied with locally grown wines at Palazzo Bandino, a farmhouse located a short drive from the hotel.

Day 3 Basilica of St Francis of Assisi
We travel into the heart of the Umbrian countryside to Assisi today for a guided tour of the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi and its wonderful frescoes by Giotto, Simone Martini and Lorenzetti. We then have free time to relax in this charming Umbrian town.

Day 4 Siena & San Gimignano
This morning we visit Siena. On arrival we see the Campo, where the Palio horse race is run every July and August, and the Duomo, the earliest of the great Tuscan Gothic churches and housing the ‘Piccolomini Library’. A guided tour of the Pinacoteca Nazionale introduces us to its magnificent collection from the Sienese school. In the afternoon we travel on to San Gimignano, a beautiful Tuscan village set in the heart of the Chianti wine growing region and known as the ‘Small Manhattan’ due to its thirteen medieval towers, where we have free time to explore at our leisure.

Day 5 Florence & the Uffizi
We visit Florence today, the Renaissance art capital of the world. We begin with a pre-booked entry into the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s finest art galleries housing Renaissance art from the 14th to 18th century and originally established by the Medici family. In the afternoon you have time to visit at your leisure Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia, the Pittii Palace or Bopoli Gardens. En route home we have an optional farewell evening meal at the excellent Palazzo Casagrande in Figline Valdarno (subject to minimum numbers).

Day 6 Orvieto
En route to Rome for our flight home, we stop off at the charming Etruscan town of Orvieto. After gaining access into the town by cable car, we see the stunning Duomo dating from the 13th century with its huge façade adorned with frescoes by Lorenzo Maitani. After free time for lunch we travel on to Rome Airport for our scheduled flight back to the UK.

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